Well, I seem to be allergic to...water? I know I'm not really allergic to water, but I've been developing hives whenever I shower--hot, cold, or lukewarm water--for the past, oh, 3-4 years? My doctor insisted it was the soaps and shampoos I was using. I don't use shampoo (I'm one of those hippie dippies who use conditioner only), and the body soap we have is all natural and hypoallergenic. I even went a few times without ANY soap at all, and STILL got the hives.

It doesn't happen all the time, but it does happen fairly often. I had to start setting a timer to take my showers; I had to START washing my hair IN THE SINK, so I could get in, rinse it, and also have time to wash my body before the hives set in. They usually appear on the sides of my face, my neck, shoulders and chest. I also get an odd rash on the insides of my legs. It looks as though I've been standing under too hot water--but again, this happens in the cold, hot, or lukewarm water. It even happens when I shower at friends houses, too.

If that weren't enough, I started to realize that hot days were agony. I was getting hives if I got too hot, too! If I was out in the sun for too long (even a walk to the mailbox made my back break out), I got insanely itchy almost instantly.

I don't really understand what to make of it, but they've had me on an antihistamine which helps, but still doesn't cure the problem 100%. I was wondering, has anyone experienced anything like this?

I know your soaps (laundry and personal) are natural and hypoallergenic. You might want to consider that it may still be something in these... Hypoallergenic means not usually causing allergic reactions. And you can be allergic to simple food items such as eggs, milk, nuts etc. So don't let that fool you!

If that sounds familiar, you should try to get an allergist's appt. and get a professional diagnosis and advice on how to manage.
If it seems to be more often than with heat and cold, you might want to start with a dermatologist.

There are extremely rare reactions just to water. But I wouldn't jump ahead to that. The odds are quite remote.

Just a FYI: There exists a person in England who is actually allergic to Water. She relies on sipping only tiny amounts of Diet Coke.

However, I'd vote for Uticarian issue because you don't seem to react to water you drink. I react to any fabric, except swimsuit material, that is close to my skin, but this does not explain the shower issue. So, just in case this is useful to anyone, I'm necroposting anyways.

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